The astrology of 2026

The astrology of 2025 and 2026 is a bit like Wicked, parts 1 and 2. Both can be standalone affairs, but really they work together, forming a complete story arc. So let’s dive into the energetics of 2026, and I’ll leave it up to you about whether you’re taking the starring role of Glinda or Elphaba.

ACT 1: THE STORM BREWS

We pick up the 2026 story where 2025 left off (recap 2025’s action here). We’re in a weird lull, licking our 2025 wounds and waiting for the next bit of the story to play out. January has a slow beginning, but starts to ramp up from the 19th, as a grouping of Aquarius planets ripple out a call from the future. Pluto heads the pack - the alpha planet, forcing us to understand that from 2026 we’re all truly entering the next era of our lives. Over the past two years there’s been a lot of back and forth with important outer planets hovering between signs, but we’re now at the dawn of a decisive new start. Pluto (transformation, intensity) is leading the way. Since the start of 2025 it’s been waiting patiently for us to pack our bags and join in.

ACT 2: THE TEMPEST

Neptune (idealism, dreams) comes to the party on January 31, heading into Aries for the next 15 years. I’ve written about that influence here. This marks our entry into the most intense astrology of the year. It launches quickly, and once Uranus (liberation) turns direct on February 4, we are barrelling along.

Once Saturn (discipline, boundaries) also arrives in Aries on February 14, we dive into a truly crazy few weeks. Hold on!

Coinciding with the ingress (a fancy word meaning when planets change zodiac signs), we have a solar eclipse on February 17 that squares Uranus, our most unpredictable planet. Expect sudden endings and beginnings. There’s some strategising going on, and things will be moving fast (particularly in relationships). It’s an intense but exciting vibe, and if you love horror movies scares, rollercoasters or eating hot chilli sauce, then this is the month for you. This impacts around 28° fixed signs (Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio, Taurus).

Take note on February 20 - we wake up to a really potent morning. This is the exact conjunction (joining) of Saturn with Neptune. It’s a huge influence that was previewed back in June/July 2025 last year and is now reaching its pinnacle. It’s too big an influence to fully explain here, but I’ll write more closer to the time. As a start, look back on mid 2025 to see how life was playing out. This vibe now returns in a big way.

Also happening now - the Sun conjuncts Mars, and this just HAS to be a BIG news week. 

Mercury turns retrograde on February 27, and this whole period seems to be about reassessing relationships. With a Venus retrograde later this year, this period may hold important moments that we’ll understand more in context in October. Dissatisfaction may start seeping in. Mars squares Uranus and we lead into a lunar eclipse on March 3. This impacts mid-mutable signs (Pisces, Virgo, Gemini, Sag). Some strong female energy is hovering. It feels cathartic.

The takeaway: The year starts slow, but ramps up from mid January. February continues to build, with a truly crazy eclipse season from Feb 17-Mar 3. Keep your diary on the empty side. I wouldn’t organise any big trips for now - a holiday just won’t be relaxing. 

ACT 3: WE’RE ON A MISSION

We have a few weeks to absorb, before diving into a HOT Aries season from March 21 with six planets in the pioneering fire sign. However the planetary ruler of Aries, Mars, is sitting in Pisces - and it’s not a natural fit. Mars is aggression, Pisces is evaporation. Perhaps this is all steam and boiling trouble. I can’t help but think of a witches cauldron. Expect simmering anger, passive aggression and boil overs.

March/April has the majority of planets still travelling tightly together. This forms ‘stelliums’ of influence - intense focus on particular topics in our charts. Find your Pisces and Aries houses to understand what life stories you’ll be needing to manage. 

Uranus enters Gemini on April 27 and this is the last piece of the outer planet puzzle falling into place. Our sign switching is over. All the important outer planets are set in place for the foreseeable future. It’s time to let things go and look forward. Try not to waste too much time scrambling and yearning for how things were. 

By May, Saturn is now 5° from Neptune, so any storylines from early in the year start to ease. Pluto turns retrograde on May 7 and I think this will feel like a relief - it’s been a crazy few months and having the brakes applied may be welcome. 

Generally May/June feels like a steam train chugging along. There’s rhythm and cadence to the energy. It’s excellent ‘get shit done’ vibes. Settle in and see how far you can push your life along. Two notable dates - May 23 is the Sun joining with Uranus (expect some insights, and lively moments) and June 10 brings our two benefic planets, Venus and Jupiter, together at 25° Cancer. It’s a really lovely few days. If you can, plan a holiday for around now. Definitely gather the family together for cuddles.

ACT 4: A BIT OF PUSH AND SHOVE

June 20 sees Chiron, the planet of wounding and healing, shifting into Taurus after eight years in Aries. This is important and I’ll devote a whole post to it closer. June 30 brings Mercury’s next retrograde in the sign of Cancer. On July 1, Jupiter shifts from Cancer into Leo. This signals the end of a particularly enriching 12 months for all Cancer placements. It’s not all doom and gloom, but the Cancer house of your chart may now experience some ‘undoing’. Over the next few weeks there could be some frustration as details around these topics need revisiting. 

At the same time a conjunction between Mars and Uranus is building. It’s exact on July 4, just days after Jupiter’s shift into Leo. Outer planets Pluto, Uranus and Neptune are also sliding into their closest configuration (around July 17). Jupiter joins in from her new position in Leo. This is all mucky and eventful energy. As a society, we are taking an important next step. Perhaps there’ll be descriptive events, but it’s more likely that stuff is going on in the background that we’ll look back on later as being pivotal - new scientific discoveries, political parties forming, and babies being born who will be impactful throughout the rest of the 21st century. Keep your eyes open for interesting stories in the news that may give clues about future

The takeaway: July is our next major period of importance. But we might not understand the how and why of it for a while to come.

Saturn turns retrograde on July 27. The nodes begin their transit through Aquarius/Leo for the next 18 months (I use true nodes, so the ingress is July 27, the mean node ingress is August 19). Important turning points will emerge in this axis of your chart. I’ll write more on this later.

Our next eclipse season starts with a Leo solar eclipse on August 13 impacting 20° of fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio, Taurus). Again, there’s a fierce female energy hovering, with Eris and Black Moon Lilith sticking their noses in. Both these influences are fine with a bit of chaos, so I think it’ll be spicy. 

A Pisces lunar eclipse closes the season on August 28. This impacts 4° mutable signs (Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, Sag). 4° has been a hotspot in the previous month, and Uranus is squaring this axis, so again, it’s a spicy and unpredictable influence. Keep your diary free to deal with any dramas.

ACT 5: WE ALL CATCH OUR BREATH

From September 11, Uranus turns retrograde and we’re into the sluggish part of the year. All the outer planets are retrograde, and Venus joins them from October 3 - November 14, and Mercury has its final retrograde from October 24 - November 14.

The takeaway: This part of the year feels soggy. There’s naval-gazing, rethinking most areas of your life, including personal appearance, partnerships and financial issues. This is a partial repeat of energy from Oct/Nov 2018 – look back for clues about how you’ll be impacted. 

During this time we have a strong Scorpio New Moon on November 9. I’m pointing this one out as it’s got a particularly stubborn strength to it. Expect clashes of ego, conflict and some destruction. Scorpio isn’t concerned by the ethics of vengeance. Eris and Chiron are also active, so it’s a high risk, nasty few days. This energy builds to November 14. Although from there it eases fairly quickly. Again, avoid planning ‘nice stuff’ for now - the energy is difficult.

The air stays heavy until December 6, when Mercury shifts into Sagittarius and we can all lighten up a bit, although Venus stays in Scorpio for the rest of the year and feels quite brooding. She’s at the bendings of the nodal axis too - so there’s a strong sense of being at a crossroads - mopping up and renegotiating your relationships. Post the Venus retrograde, you might be seeing the world anew. It’s been a fairly stormy year, and the festive season looks a little serious. 

The takeaway: More bumps in August, and life slows down in the last quarter of the year. This might be welcome or frustrating, depending on your natural inclinations. 

IN SUMMARY

All in all, it’s another momentous year - a Part 2, to 2025’s Part 1. By the end of this year, we’ll have answers to many of our questions, and the path forward (both personally and as a society) will be clearer. Living through history can feel like being in an event whirlpool. At the time it’s hard to keep up, or to know which way to move. With a bit of distance we’ll be able to look back on 2025/2026 as a key pivot point in our ‘Wicked’ story.

As always, how the energy will play out for you is determined by your natal birth chart. Come for a reading, and I’ll be able to personalise this energy for your year ahead.